Did Enid ever get depressed?

[Francis]

Katharine wrote

still have a 50% chance of an untimely death.

In other words you have a 50% chance of a timely death (whatever that is!). Whatever happens I hope you live for a long, long time - you are always so worth reading and listening to.

[Francis]

My only feeling on Pete's poser is that I am sure that Enid felt depressed on occasion as we all do. I suspect she had an avoidance strategy to prevent her from getting clinically depressed, however.

[Katharine]

Whilst I do agree that a healthy lifestyle is sensible, it's not an absolute guarantee of longevity. I slipped down the last 2 stairs at home yesterday. Thankfully I did nothing worse than give myself a fright, and possibly a bruise in a place that is never seen in public. However, it was a sobering realisation of just how easily an accident can happen.

[Poppy]

I find it hard to believe how anybody with such bright, jolly and friendly ideas in her head could ever become depressed! I suppose everyone has their bad days and their good, but I have to say I have never noticed any reflection of sadness or depression in Enids work except perhaps in Five Go Adventuring Again when the other children are against George's beliefs of Mr Roland.

[Francis]

They do say that the home is the most dangerous place - I hope you are feeling less sore.
Be careful and look after yourself!

[Carlotta King]

I slipped down the last 2 stairs at home yesterday. Thankfully I did nothing worse than give myself a fright, and possibly a bruise in a place that is never seen in public. However, it was a sobering realisation of just how easily an accident can happen.

Indeed, Katharine! I had an untimely mishap on the train yesterday, you just never know!

[Katharine]

Thanks for the sympathy folks. The strange thing was that as I was walking down the stairs, it flashed into my mind that I should be careful. I don't believe in premonitions, but as I was feeling rather tired yesterday, maybe it was my 'undermind' realising the fact that I wasn't paying enough attention to where I was putting my foot. Sadly I didn't listen to my own advice. That's the second time this year I've slipped on the stairs, so I really ought to be more careful. I'm getting too old to 'bounce'.

Indeed, Katharine! I had an untimely mishap on the train yesterday, you just never know!

Yikes, that could be really nasty

[Moonraker]

I find it hard to believe how anybody with such bright, jolly and friendly ideas in her head could ever become depressed! I suppose everyone has their bad days and their good...

Of course they do. We used to say, "I'm feeling a bit down/blue/fed-up today. Now it has to be *depression. I fully agree with you Poppy, words of sense from you once again!

* I am not referring to clinical depression, before anyone jumps on me.

[Daisy]

It the same with colds. What used to be a cough and a cold is now "a chest infection". It certainly makes it sound more important though!

[Katharine]

I think a lot of people use the terms flu, and migraine too much as well.

I've had quite a number of bad headaches in my time, but only one true migraine - and boy, one is enough. Same as flu, I usually get one cold a year which leaves me feeling shivery, and aching, but it's not flu. I've had that twice in my life, and there is definitely a difference between the two illnesses. Yet I regularly hear people saying 'oh I had flu last week', and yet they still went to work!

[Poppy]

I find it hard to believe how anybody with such bright, jolly and friendly ideas in her head could ever become depressed! I suppose everyone has their bad days and their good...

Of course they do. We used to say, "I'm feeling a bit down/blue/fed-up today. Now it has to be *depression. I fully agree with you Poppy, words of sense from you once again!

* I am not referring to clinical depression, before anyone jumps on me.

Why, thank you, Nigel!

(*I'm on a roll!*)

[Moonraker]

I get migraines, without a headache!

[Ming]

Enid, like everyone else, probably felt blue and down in the dumps at times, but I like to think her writing and the energy she derived from it probably relieved her of any "depression"!

As for migraines, I pity anyone that has it! I've had far too many instances and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. It's a pity, though, that most people seem to think that "it's just a headache" and refuse to understand just how bad it really is.

[Deej]

I don't expect anyone can prove one way or another that Enid had depression. Personally I think it was unlikely. That's based on the definition of depression meaning a person feels unable to move or think about anything, crying, wanting to sleep all the time etc. If she'd suffered in that way, I can't see how she would have been able to produce the volume of work she did per week, not just writing stories, but writing for her magazine and answering all the correspondence she did.

If she'd had days when she would just stare at a blank TV screen, or sit all day crying, then I would have thought such gaps would have shown up in her work output. I suppose the only way to try and prove it one way or another would be to examine her work notes, collate information from publishers, and to look at her surviving diaries. That might give an indication as to whether she had any times when she was unable to work.

I don't know the statistics for the percentage of people who have suffered from depression, but I only know of 2 people who have had it, neither of them a relative. So that's only a tiny proportion of the people I know. On the other hand, if depression is classed as just feeling a bit fed up from time to time, then I'd say that applies to 99% of people I know, but it doesn't stop them functioning on a normal daily basis.

I disagree with your post when you say people are unable to move, think about anything and be as productive in their work. Employers should value and understand people with depression as much as anyone else. I have already admitted and have no shame in admitting that I have and still do experience real feelings of depression where I lack energy, want to stay in bed all day, want to cry for no reason... all the symptoms/feelings you rightly describe. But NONE of that has stopped me from doing what I want to do.

I am training to be a journalist five days a week for 40 hours and then working 16 hours in retail on the weekend. I get up at 6-7am every morning. Keeping busy is what keeps me going as if I'm sitting around bored at homes potentially mulling things over/over-analysing things in my head, that is when the depression is more likely to manifest itself. Anyhow, with the right medication/treatment and keeping busy (not to the point that the stress makes you worse), depression is more than manageable and you can lead a relatively normal life. Concerning depression figures, I would imagine that there are more people that you know of that have depression than don't have it.

Real depression is nothing like feeling down and putting your act together as some people so wrongly say. I see no reason why Blyton couldn't have depression. Depression does not stop someone from being able to write books even in the volume she did, and it wouldn't be a surprise if the stress of writing so many books got to her. I wrote a 10,000 word depression when I was feeling at my lowest. But again this is all speculation and no one knows for sure whether she had depression or not. If she did, then it's not really a big deal.

[Deej]

I find it hard to believe how anybody with such bright, jolly and friendly ideas in her head could ever become depressed!

Most people with depression don't tend to be miserable people because depression isn't necessarily thinking negatively or lacking self-confidence. A lot of the time depression is caused by a chemical imbalance/physical problem out of one's control. I'm sure people with depression are just as capable as producing books with 'bright, jolly and friendly' ideas as someone without!